Introduction

Abstract

The introduction sets out the context and parameters in which radical adaptation for the stage operates within the current landscape of performance practice, and provides theoretical definitions and examples of relevant artistic agendas. It offers a rationale for the book’s structure, arguing that recontextualising and re-theatricalising the canon, alongside adapting for immersive theatre and as a collaborative, trans-cultural and intermedial practice, are some of the most frequent and potent lenses through which theatre artists approach pre-existing sources. The introduction also considers the limits of adaptability, the prevalence of repurposing ancient Greek drama, and the connection between stage adaptation and performing the maternal, as emblematic approaches for reinterpreting and actualising cultural heritage.